Soft sided luggage typically includes outer walls or panels constructed of leather, plastic, fabric, or other sheetlike materials which are pliant, readily conform to externally applied pressures and are somewhat soft to the touch. Such luggage requires a frame or other means for rigidifying the structure sufficiently to maintain an overall case-like appearance and to withstand the normal handling to which it is subjected. In the past, metallic stiffening members have been used, which, although providing the requisite strength, are unsatisfactory in several other respects. First of all, such metal members or frames, if subjected to a considerable external force, such as, for example, if other luggage were thrown or dropped onto the case, would be permanently deformed. In still other situations, where the metallic frame members were spring-like quality, the deformation could take place to a limited degree and still return to the original shape; however, if a considerable amount of deformation were experienced by the bag, it would either break the frame or, on exceeding the frame elastic limit, produce permanent deformation. Also, such metal frames are relatively expensive to manufacture and incorporate into the case. Still further, care must be taken to insure that metal frame members do not have burrs or sharp edges or corners which could be a source of injury to a user.